Maine

Tick-borne Powassan virus sickens two in midcoast Maine, BDN Maine, June 23, 2017Powassan is only one of several diseases caused by ticks that are on the rise in Maine. Lyme disease, the most prevalent, rose to a record 1,464 cases last year. Anaplasmosis, a bacterial infection that can lead to similar long-term effects as Lyme without a proper diagnosis, climbed dramatically as well.
Powassan is spread by the bite of an infected deer or woodchuck tick and can cause fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion and seizures. Brain swelling is a potentially devastating complication that kills 10 percent of those who develop it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half of those who survive the infection suffer permanent neurological symptoms such as memory problems, facial tics and blurred vision. There is no vaccine or treatment other than keeping patients comfortable and hydrated during hospitalization.

Maine coyotes getting bigger, more wolflike, Portland Press Herald, May 7,2017Scientists say there’s a reason for that: With 8% wolf DNA, the coyote species that prowls the Northeast is an evolving hybrid that’s becoming a more effective predator of deer.

Amity woman avoids three deer, crashes into trees, Bangor Daily News, Dec 1, 2015Jones swerved to miss the deer, lost control of her pickup and drove off the roadway, striking several trees. She was wearing a seat belt. The vehicle was destroyed, Clark said.

Eastport residents’ opinions on deer population targeted in poll, Quoddy Times, Oct 9, 2015“People feeding them think they’re doing a good thing. This island is too small for the amount of deer on the island.” She points out that the does were having triplets this summer, and there are no natural predators. She adds that those people who are feeding the deer “will have to double up this winter, because I bet there are 100 more babies.”

“I’m a taxpayer as well as the people feeding the deer, and I have rights, too.” Emphasizing each word, she states, “It is out of control. The city has to do something.”

Hunters to thin Islesboro deer herd, Bangor Daily News, May 26, 2015More than a year after Islesboro residents voted to kill about 80 percent of the island’s deer herd, the state has signed off on a hunt that will be held for the next three years. Island residents have expressed concern over a high incidence of Lyme disease, which is carried by deer ticks, and an island task force has studied the issue for some time.

Islesboro considers hiring sharpshooter to cull deer, reduce Lyme disease risk, Bangor News, Sept 11, 2014In 2013, about 80 people were treated for tick bites on Islesboro; and of those people, 53 were confirmed cases of Lyme disease. That means, the small island community — which has a year-round population of about 550 people and a summer population of 1,000 people — accounted for 3.8 percent of the total Lyme disease cases (1,377) in Maine that year.“It’s probably more,” said Allie Wood, PA, assistant director of Islesboro Health Center. “We don’t have a lab on the island, so we don’t have a way of checking easily.

Deirdre Fleming: Islesboro makes dramatic changes in deer hunt again, Portland Press Herald, Dec 15, 2015The town of Islesboro just made it easier on itself in its quest to thin its deer herd by extending its special firearm island hunt two months this winter. But that hunt aimed at culling the over-abundant deer herd remains a tough task because island residents refuse to allow use of rifles. A year after crafting the island’s first firearm hunt, Islesboro residents, with the state’s blessing, this year extended the hunt from three weeks to almost three months, starting Monday to Feb. 28.

But they also voted down the option of making it a rifle hunt, putting the approved hunters at a disadvantage.

Controlling Urban Deer, Bangor Metro, 2013The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife in affiliation with The Maine Bowhunters Association established the Expanded Archery Season in 1997. This season was in response to growing and problematic deer populations in southern Maine, particularly along the coast and islands. Since then, the zones have expanded to include urban centers from Portland to Bangor. The Expanded Archery Season, not to be confused with the statewide October archery season, runs from mid-September until mid-December. During the expanded season, bowhunters can purchase a buck tag and limitless doe tags.

Island takes deer problem by the horns, Portland Press-Herald, Nov 18, 2012Islesboro residents will attempt to cull the herd to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease with their first-ever shotgun hunt.

Deer overpopulation is a serious problem, Seacoastonline.com, Oct 23, 2008Biologists are concerned that deer they are sampling have small skeletal bones and low fat reserves. The deer are producing fewer young compared to healthy deer in other locations. This is not natural.

Are we helpless?

"The native plants are tramped down, the bushes are gnawed, and my three-year-old grandson can't play in the back yard because of the deer droppings. If humans entered our property and exacted such a toll we would have legal recourse We're watching the curb appeal and property value decline at a time when our taxes are rising. We are without defense."
M. Holland, Ann Arbor resident